Dredge.



H. R. LYTLB.

DREDGB. l APPLICATION FILED MAR-4, 1912.

1,1 18,565. Patented No1/.24, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W/Wf N A H. R. LYTLB.

DREDGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4, 1912. 1,1 18,565. Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED sewers-@ENT aml HARRY R LYTLE, oRnAvIs, CALIFORNIA, AssIGNoRAoIjsIX-sEvEN'rHs To WILLIAM `A y I. RHoADs, RAIfIAARMsBURenR, WILL KUEGHLER, Alvi. MnNAssEsf AND A. wimaun,` ALLAor` s'rocKtroN, CALIFORNIA, AND WILLlA. DOWER, AorsAN ANDREAS, CALI-A To allwhom t may concern; AA M Be it known that I, HARRYR. ILYTLE, a citizen of the United States residing at Davis, in the county of Yolo andIIState `of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Dredges, of which the following Aisa specification. AI

This invention relates to a dredging ap- I paratus.

`An object of the present invention is to` provide a dredge involving Aa boom pivoted -tor elevation in averticalplane andcarrying la rotary bucket or shovel at its free end.

`lt is a further object of the invention to provide in a dredging apparatus the com bination with a loat having `a Ahinged elevating boom, a bucket or excavator capable of being provided to render the scraper or bucketIAautomatically returnable to a norA- maldigging position.

IAThe invention consists Aof the `parts and A the construction and combination of parts as" hereinafter more fully described andA claimed, having reference to the accompanymg drawings, 1n which- IFigure 1` is aside elevation of the im-A i proved dredge. Fig. 2 1s a plan vlew of the same. A AI A In the illustrated .embodiment of my `1nvention 2 represents a suitable dredge, upon y which is mounted an appropriate superstruc- 'I their outer ends by a bail 5 to a haulor ele-z ture, engines, and other apparatus necessary forlthe usual operation of the dredge, there I being mounted on the frontedge of the dredge booms 3 pvoted" `ond transverse gudgeons orAsupports 4 and connected Aat vator cable 6. A A

AIThe boom elevating cable 6 1s connected Ito anAAappropriately driven drum 7 which rying the upper ends ot the booms into a po-I sition over the upper end of a chute or flume 8 Aadaptedzto dischargematerial admitted A DRELGEI g Specification ofLetters Patent. PtentedNgV. 2451914LI Applicant@ fueanarch 4, leiayseriai No. 681,459. I I y I:

paratusf) on `the barge. When itis desired tolower the booms `3, `the cable A6 is allowed to run olf the drum 7 and the IAupper ends l of the booms are lowered; to the desired ele-A vation, so as to carry into contact with the A material being operated A upon,A a peculiar and especially designed shovel or bucket 10, which is rotatably supported on a shaft 11` in the outer ends of the booms 3. A

The axis or shaft 1l ofthe bucket A10 is` in a horizontal plane, and the bucket is shown as semi-cylindrical in shape, having at its edges diggers 12 which may be pro- ]ected mto digging contact.i with ithesoil or material to be elevated, theside `13d being open to permit the entry and discharge of said materialA` As the bucket isrotated on its shaft 11, the material excavated bythe diggers 12 enters the mouth 1x3 of the cylindrical bucket.` l A A In operation, the boomsare lowered by the unwinding of the cable 6 off the drum 7, until the bucket `lOis brought into `juxtaposition with the material to Abe excavatedyat which time the Scrapers 12 of the bucket are automatically drawn downward into dig-` ging positionby the retraction or pull of a cable or cables 13 connected at 14 tothe circumference or sides of the bucket, which cable 13 passes downwardly `beneath aA sheave 15 mounted in a bracket A16 on the barge;A`the end of the cable 13 being sub-- jected to the pull ol a weight,` spring or other device 13A adapted to automatically rotate the bucket 10 on its bearingll. l x

As the booms 3 `are lowered, the bucket"rj automatically revolves to carry the Scrapers I power to revolve `the bucket on its axis 11,Ay

by throwing into clutch a `d1u1n1`7, on which a cable or `cables 18"` are wound` These cables passzaround sheaves 19 mounted on the pivots 4 of the bloom 3. y The. ends ofthe cables 18 are connected at 20`to le arms o1" brackets secured to the ends of the bucket 10.A

When power is applied to pull the cabley or cables 18 it causes the bucket to revolve on its axis 11, forcing the diggers 12 of the bucket into digging engagement with the soil, and as the bucket is revolved, the earth is collected. by entering the mouth 13 of the bucket; and when it is filled to the desired extent, the operator throws the drum 7 into clutch with its engine to wind the cable 6, lifting the booms and simultaneously winding (the cable 18 to rotate the bucket on its axis and carry the mouth 13 to a substantiallyhorizontal position above the shaft 11.

`When the bucket is brought to aposition over the upper end of the chute S, the bucket is then `further revolved or tilted by its cable 18 into position to permit the contents of the bucket to discharge from the lower edge of the bucket onto the chute, down which the material will run intothe apparatus indicated' at 9.

Having discharged the load, by revolving the bucket through means of the cable 18, the operator then releases the drum 17 and immediately the automatic operation of the be excavated.

bucket returning device, including the chain or cable 13 and its connected actuating element 13a, will swing the bucket about its shaft 11 to its initial or digging position rel-` ative to the booms 3; and theA operator again permits the boom to be lowered by slacking up on'the cable 6 and lowering the bucket 10 into position to operate upon the material to My improved dredge, constructed and operated as above set forth, is especially adapted to placer mining, as it digs toward the bank and does not scrape the dirt from the bank as is customary in dredging machines.

This is an important feature, as it causes the material to be taken into the bucket without being so disturbed as to allow the gold to settle to the bottom before the gravel enters the bucket.r The arrangement whereby the bucket is swung between two booms on its axis between the'two booms, which provides a wide range for the swing of the bucket, the depth of its digging being only limited by the height of the gauntreefrom which it swings. The rot-ation of the bucket permits the material to be taken into the bucket at one edge 12, which becomesthe upper edge when the bucket is in discharging position, (Fig. 1), andk permits the ma- Y terial to discharge at the opposite or lower edge of the bucket, is anv important feature, which, vcombined with the arrangement of the'booms, permits an efiicientand powerful digging action through a wide range,*and

" at thev same time the necessary 'elevation of the bucket to discharge onto the chutel 8. As the bucket maybe reversed so that when the digging side becomes worn thev other side maybe used, the life of the bucket is mate rially lengthened.

From the foregoing it will be seen that 1 have provided a dredge involving details of construction which are 'of extremely substantial design; are operable at smallv expense of maintenanceand repair aresimple; and the apparatus as a whole is light and durable, and the capacity of the dredge can be variedto suit the nature offthem'ate- Having thus Adescribed my inventiomwhat I claim and desirelto-secure by kLetters Patent is- 'l 1. The combination with a dredge "orfloat, of a boom swinging in a vertical planel and connected to saiddredge at one endV thereof and adapted to swing upward and-downward to approximately vertical positions,a

rotary'bucket pivoted` to and projecting be yond the swinging `end; of the boom, and r'otatable while the boom is stationary to'fdig a load, lmeans to positively rotate the bucket in the same direction during the digging operation and the discharge of thefload, Vand automatic means operatively connected to the bucket for reversing the bucket after its load has been discharged when the means for positively rotating" the bucket is released.V

2. 1n a dredge, a vertically swinging-support, a bucket carried thereby and rotatable about a horizontal axis, means to swing the support andbring the bucket to 'loading and unloading positions, mechanism to both load and unload the bucket by rotation thereof on its axisinone direction, andmeans to automatically reverse the bucket after it is unloaded and thereby return it fromv discharging to loading position. i ,f

3. 1n a dredge, the combination of al digging bucket, a support in which the bucket is pivotally mounted, means to operate lthe support and carry the bucket bodily to digging and discharging positions, mechanism to rotate the bucket and discharge its contents, a cable connected to the bucket, and means to automatically operate the cable and rotate the bucket in the reverse direction after its contents have been discharged.` f1. In a dredge, the 'combination of `a bucket having a horizontal axis, supporting members carrying the bucket andzmounted to swing in vertical planes, mechanism to first rotate "the bucket and thereby load it,

then swing the supporting members upward to maintain acontinuous tension on said myhand in thepresence of two subscribing cable, and thereby automatically return the wltnesses.

bucket from unloading `to loading position HARRY R. LYTLE`.` when released `from said returning mecha- Witnesses: n

5 inism, n i FRANK LicoETT, n

` In testimonywhereof I1have hereunto set MLS E. Summe.

Copies of: this patent` may be obtained for ve cents eaoh,`by adldressing `the Commissioner of Patents,

` Washingtomn 

